What to Say When You Call a Personal Injury Lawyer in Georgia (And Why You Don’t Need the Right Words)

If you’ve been putting off calling a lawyer because you don’t know what to say, this message is for you:

You’re not supposed to know what to say when you call a lawyer.

One of the most common phrases I hear when someone first calls our office is, “I don’t really know what to say.” My answer is always the same; you don’t have to. If I didn’t work here, I probably wouldn’t know where to start either. The legal world can feel like an entirely different language, especially if you have never previously needed representation.

Calling a law firm after an accident or injury can feel intimidating. You may be overwhelmed with pain, constant calls from insurance adjusters trying to pressure you into quick and cheap settlements or giving recorded statements, calls from unknown law firms trying to solicit your business, or are simply paralyzed thinking about what to do next. The good news is that by calling us, you’ve already taken the first (and often the hardest) step – reaching out for help.

When you first call us, you are typically connected with someone on our intake team. It is literally our job as intake specialists to know what to ask and how to guide the conversation so that we can gather all crucial information about your situation. Once we have those initial facts, the intake team sends a detailed storyline to the attorney team, who then evaluate and decide which cases we’re able to take.

So, if you call and say, “I don’t know what to say,” that’s completely fine.

Here’s what happens next!

I’ll speak from my perspective, but this is generally how our process works at the intake level, no matter who you speak with.

You and I will speak in depth about what happened. The questions I ask will depend on the type of case – whether it’s a car accident, medical malpractice, a slip and fall, or something else entirely (like medical or legal malpractice, etc).

After our initial conversation, I pass along my extensive notes to my attorney team, along with any photos or documentation shared. If I’m a little quiet, or you hear my keyboard clacking as you talk, it’s because I’m writing down everything to make sure your story is clearly conveyed.

Once the Attorney reviews everything, I reach back out to you to go over next steps. If it’s a case we can help with, we’ll talk through paperwork, any additional documentation, etc. we must finalize.

When you sign our paperwork, it means you’ve officially hired our firm to represent you in your case. From there, the intake specialist “builds your file” by plugging in all known information into your client file for your attorney team to easily reference and get to work on. After that, you will be introduced to the team who will be working on your case. After that, you aren’t on your own. Your legal team is there to support you every step of the way. We pride ourselves on being accessible, responsive, and genuinely caring for each person we represent. We are available by phone, text, or email (your choice). We also like to meet all of our clients, either in person or via Zoom, as soon as we take on your case.  We are well aware that these cases and injuries can be life-altering. You deserve to be supported by a team that makes you feel heard.

So, don’t worry about saying just the right thing. Don’t worry if you don’t have all of the answers, or if you don’t have every detail figured out yet.

We’ve got you.